Anyone still reeling from Jayden Daniels throwing a last-second touchdown pass to help the Washington Commanders beat the Philadelphia Eagles is not alone because wide receiver Terry McLaurin is still in shock about what the rookie quarterback just produced.
Daniels’s go-to target spoke with reporters after watching the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft find Jamison Crowder from nine yards to help seal a 36-33 win over Washington’s NFC East rivals at Northwest Stadium on Sunday, December 22.
McLaurin admitted, “I’ve never seen that from a rookie,” per Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.
Terry on Jayden: I’ve never seen that from a rookie
Although McLaurin is still reeling, making the apparently impossible an attainable reality is becoming routine for Daniels. He’s made it possible for the Commanders to go from 4-13 to a 10-win season and likely playoff berth in the space of a year.
Comebacks like this one to beat the Eagles, along with the ‘Hail Mary’ miracle to thwart the Chicago Bears in Week 8, are unforgettable moments in Daniels’ stunning season. Those moments are proof Daniels has gotten better and better since entering the league.
McLaurin cited his QB1’s consistent improvement as good reason to expect greatness. He told reporters, including ESPN’s John Keim, how Daniels’ “ability to get better is why he has a chance to be one of the great ones.”
Terry McLaurin on Jayden Daniels: “his ability to get better is why he has a chance to be one of the great ones.”
Daniels is well on his way, although he hasn’t done it alone. McLaurin continued his own career-best season with a stellar showing against a usually formidable Philadelphia defense.
Jayden Daniels Learned His Lesson vs. Eagles
The Eagles ran out 26-18 winners the last time the two teams met back in Week 11. They baffled Daniels with a sophisticated coverage scheme, but the first-year passer obviously learned a lot in defeat.
Daniels threw five touchdowns in the rematch, one to McLaurin and two apiece to Crowder and fellow receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. Although a 61.8 completion percentage was his third-lowest mark of the season, Daniels often found his range and targets in clutch moments.
No situation was more clutch than when the Commanders were at the Eagles’ nine-yard line with no timeouts and only 10 seconds on the clock. Daniels stayed calm, even with pressure closing in, and split coverage to find Crowder at the back of the end zone, ensuring the Commanders’ “odds of making the postseason jumped to 93%,” per Next Gen Stats.
Jayden Daniels & Jamison Crowder (9-yd GW TD) 📽️
The @Commanders‘ win probability was as low as 5.7% with 19 seconds left in the third quarter. Their odds of making the postseason jumped to 93% with the win, while the Eagles’ NFC No. 1 seed odds fell to 4%.
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Reaching the playoffs is only a possibility thanks to Daniels. He’s only playing as well as he is because of help from a key veteran like McLaurin.
Terry McLaurin Has Remained Invaluable for Commanders
He toiled for years amid a carousel of unconvincing quarterbacks, but McLaurin was still productive. He had four 1,000-yard seasons out of five, but the 29-year-old has taken his game up a level as the primary target for Daniels.
They combined for another touchdown, McLaurin’s 12th of the campaign, thanks to this “ridiculous” adjustment and catch highlighted by The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.
Terry McLaurin is ridiculous.
McLaurin is one scoring grab away from setting a new franchise record. He’s also 25 yards short of a new career-best tally, as well as 15 catches shy of the most he’s ever recorded in a single season.
He needed a better quarterback, but Daniels also needed McLaurin. Their instant chemistry, along with the veteran’s willingness to call his own shot, has given Daniels the confidence to trust his arm in crunch moments.
That confidence has the 10-5 Commanders on the brink of completely a remarkable turnaround.
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Commanders WR Reveals Why Jayden Daniels Shocked Him vs. Eagles